'There’s really no substitute for seeing, feeling, smelling and occasionally even tasting products'

I’m always looking for innovation to surprise and delight customers across the world, as well as meet new start-ups and entrepreneurial SMEs who bring new solutions to challenges that face every pet parent. And seeing all the British manufactured products makes me really proud too.

How important is it to see all the new launches under one roof?

It’s actually pretty impossible for me to resist visiting PATS where I can see all the products and meet so many brilliant and inspiring suppliers under one roof. If you’re in the pet industry, whether that’s as a retailer, distributor, supplier or manufacturer, it’s a must attend event!

Is it better to touch and feel new products rather than seeing a picture of them online?

There’s really no substitute for seeing, feeling, smelling and occasionally even tasting products in reality. It’s far easier to understand construction, quality and size in real life and that also means money can be saved and spent more wisely on sampling.

Are your buying decisions for the year ahead based on a visit to PATS?

Often, yes they are.

Is it an easy show to find your way around?

The floorplan is brilliant and makes it really easy to navigate the show – and helps to ensure I don’t miss anything or anyone!

Do you enjoy meeting your suppliers face-to-face and do you welcome the other networking opportunities?

Absolutely. We work in a wonderful industry with many wonderful people so catching up with friendly faces and building relationships with new ones is absolutely key.

Would you recommend visiting the show to other retailers and buyers?

100% – PATS is our biggest UK pet speciality show and I’d recommend it as vital for anyone in the UK pet industry. Increasingly as the show grows in scale, I am sure we will see more global visitors too who are interesting in sourcing some of the fantastic British-made products that are on offer.

CASE STUDY No 2

Darren Porter owns Urmston Pet Shop, Manchester.

What inspires you to visit a major pet industry exhibition like PATS?

I bought Urmston Pet Shop two-and-a-half-years ago and in that time I have seen first-hand how market trends and buying habits have changed, from fashion-led designs to pet feeding habits. During the pandemic we have seen a huge increase in pet ownership with households seeing their pet as a devoted new member of the family. For this reason, I think it is important for independent retailers like myself to attend the PATS exhibition to keep up to date with new products, but more importantly to get a true understanding of the products themselves from the suppliers.

How important is it to see all the new launches under one roof?

Running a busy pet shop means time is precious, so it is important to have a trade event with all suppliers under one roof at the same time. I’m able to do all my new business in a shorter time period, instead of having to plan separate meetings over a period of weeks or months with business development managers coming to my store.

Is it better to touch and feel new products rather than seeing a picture of them online?

The advantage is huge. You get to see the full range that the brand has to offer but more importantly you get to feel the quality of the products. You don’t get that from a website, and business development managers don’t always have all the samples with them when they visit.

Are your buying decisions for the year ahead based on a visit to PATS?

About 75% of what I would buy at PATS is for the year ahead, and the remaining 25% will be based on what business development mangers bring to store for me to look at.

Is it an easy show to find your way around?

Yes, the show has an easy flow to it, right from the entrance to walking the halls. The show guide is always handy to refer back to if you can’t find a particular supplier.

Do you enjoy meeting your suppliers face-to-face and do you welcome the other networking opportunities?

I find it easier at a show to meet each supplier because it’s more of a relaxed atmosphere. When a company rep comes to the store it can be a stop-start process as I need to deal with customers at the same time. I also enjoy meeting up with other retailers to get not only their view on the trade but their recommendations for any products that they stock.

Would you recommend visiting the show to other retailers and buyers?

It’s a must for any retailer to visit PATS for all the reasons I’ve given. The pet trade has seen a lot of changes in the past 20 years, none more so than during the past three years, so attending PATS is a good way to help you to better understand current market trends.

CASE STUDY No 3

Rob James, of Petwork Marketing, sources UK-manufactured products for a network of 50 stores across Spain, and regularly attends PATS exhibitions with partner Mireah Sabate De Val, who owns Princeps Der Casa pet store in central Barcelona.

What inspires you to visit a major pet industry exhibition like PATS?

There is no substitute for visiting a trade show. Having the opportunity to look at, touch and feel products is vital. Meeting with suppliers, shaking hands and getting a feel for the company is really important for us because we need to build a relationship, and this is much easier if we have met.

How important is it to see all the new launches under one roof?

Coming from Spain and having the ability to see everything in one place is very, very useful. Not only is it cost effective in terms of our investment for the trip, but it is time-effective too. The alternative would be to research companies with products of interest and then organise meetings with them, which would entail a ‘Round Britain’ tour. It’s much better to have all the new products in one place where we can come together and talk business.

Is it better to touch and feel new products rather than seeing a picture of them online?

There is no comparison. Within seconds we can see if it is the type of product that would work in our market. We can also immediately assess shipping costs, storage space, etc. It saves a lot of time talking about products we would instantly dismiss.

Are your buying decisions for the year ahead based on a visit to PATS?

Yes, we have been to the past few shows, both in Telford and Sandown. Following these events, we have signed distribution deals with a number of suppliers. We are introducing these products into the Spanish market successfully and will be back to look for the next tranche of products. We like to have products available to our members, products in the pipeline and products we have an eye on – all of this can be achieved at a PATS show.

Is it an easy show to find your way around?

Yes, the show is well laid out and easy to navigate.

Do you enjoy meeting your suppliers face-to-face and do you welcome the other networking opportunities?

Absolutely, it is the main reason for attending. What’s business if it is not about communication?

Would you recommend visiting the show to other retailers and buyers?

Yes, and I have done. I would like to look at the possibility of organising a group visit to PATS Telford with those Petwork Marketing members that would be interested in coming to the show. We can then organise the importation of the products they want to sell to the Spanish pet-owning public.

CASE STUDY No 4

Sammie Hunt owns award-winning Redpaw Pet Supplies, voted UK Pet Retailer of the Year at the 2018 PIF Awards.

What inspires you to visit a major pet industry exhibition like PATS?

It offers retailers the chance to network with other businesses and an opportunity to discover new products and ideas from suppliers.

How important is it to see all the new launches under one roof?

It’s very important as it gives us a chance to see what’s new to the market, enabling us to bring fresh, new ideas to our customers.

Is it better to touch and feel new products rather than seeing a picture of them online?

Yes definitely. It allows us to feel the quality and see the durability of the products.

Are your buying decisions for the year ahead based on a visit to PATS?

They can be influenced by the trends presented to us at the show.

Is it an easy show to find your way around?

Yes, it's always well laid out.

Do you enjoy meeting your suppliers face-to-face and do you welcome the other networking opportunities?

Absolutely, it’s so much better speaking face to face to build good working relationships.

Would you recommend visiting the show to other retailers and buyers?

Yes, and we frequently do. We believe PATS helps us keep our businesses fresh and on trend.